KOBE European bronze. Collected worldwide. A closed oeuvre. A finite legacy.
Acquire a KobeJacques Saelens, known by his artistic name Kobe, was a Belgian artist whose sculptures are recognized worldwide for their exceptional quality and distinctive style.
His career, which spanned over two decades until his sudden death in 2014, was defined not by theory or artistic manifestos, but by a singular, unwavering focus: to create work that made the viewer feel something the moment they saw it.
Kobe found his answer in the ancient Tuscan village of Pietrasanta, the very place where Michelangelo sourced his marble and the foundries that cast Henry Moore’s bronzes still operate.
It was here, surrounded by the finest bronze craftsmen in Europe and the silence that serious work requires, that Kobe honed his skills through years of dedicated study and experimentation.
BIOGRAPHY
1950 Born in Kortrijk, Belgium, 4 September.
1969–1977 Sculpture studies, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Kortrijk.
1972–1974 Plastic arts, specialising in sculpture — St. Lucas Ghent and St. Lukas Brussels.
1975–1976 Extended journey through Central and South America. First encounter with pre-Columbian form.
1977–1995 Teaching positions at academies in Kortrijk, Deinze, and Harelbeke.
Early 1990s Breakthrough — development of the signature broad/thin sculptural style.
1995 Moves permanently to Pietrasanta, Italy. Begins working independently in bronze and marble.
1997 Commission: De Grote Aanvoerder (The Great Captain) — acquired by The Phoebus Foundation.
1999 Commission: Epona — public sculpture for SITURV, Valenciennes, France.
2000–2014 International exhibitions: London Art Fair, Miami Art Fair, KunstRAI Amsterdam, Europ’Art Geneva, Miart Milan.
2009 Loper (Runner) — official trophy of the Memorial Van Damme athletics meeting.
2014 Passed away in Saint-Julien, Var, France, 26 October. Age 64.
KOBE
What emerged from this intense period of creation was a body of work unlike anything else in European sculpture.
His human and horse sculptures are celebrated for their elegance and unique blend of broad and narrow elements, capturing their subjects in a way that is both powerful and subtle.
Kobe’s signature style resulted in figures that were simultaneously monumental and wafer-thin, holding their tension the way a held breath does – present, still, and charged.
Available in both bronze and stone, these pieces draw the viewer in, leaving a lasting impression and offering a touch of happiness, affection, love, and friendship.
Kobe: “A sculpture is finished when I’m done playing with it.”
